01
Physical geography
Mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast.
Local timeDhaka ·
Asia / Southern Asia · Card 005
Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a country in Southern Asia. Its capital is Dhaka.
Find Bangladesh
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Dhaka
- Languages
- Bengali
- Currency
- Bangladeshi taka (BDT)
- Population
- 175.7 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 147,570 km²56,977 square miles
- Independence
- 1971from Pakistan
Bangladesh in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Dhaka; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Bengali.
03
Location
Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India.
Flag
Green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the left
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · February 2026 parliamentary election
History & independence
The territory became East Pakistan when British India was partitioned in 1947. Disputes over language, political representation and autonomy culminated in the 1971 liberation war, after which Bangladesh became independent. Mass protests ended Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024; a parliamentary election followed in 2026.
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East Bengal becomes part of Pakistan
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Bangladesh wins independence
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Parliamentary election follows the transition
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · February 2026 parliamentary election
Economy
Main activities
Garment manufacturing is a leading export industry. Agriculture, services, pharmaceuticals and remittances from workers abroad also matter to household incomes and economic activity.
Industry and production
cotton, textiles and clothing, jute, tea, paper, cement, fertilizer, sugar, light engineering
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · February 2026 parliamentary election
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people175.72025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 69,058,894 | 69.059 |
| 1980 | 88,016,432 | 88.016 |
| 1990 | 111,633,717 | 111.634 |
| 2000 | 134,544,304 | 134.544 |
| 2010 | 152,201,981 | 152.202 |
| 2020 | 166,298,024 | 166.298 |
| 2025 | 175,686,899 | 175.687 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars348.72025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 52,852,405,165 | 52.852 |
| 1991 | 54,694,431,891 | 54.694 |
| 1992 | 57,671,277,832 | 57.671 |
| 1993 | 60,388,495,685 | 60.388 |
| 1994 | 62,737,684,523 | 62.738 |
| 1995 | 65,950,655,693 | 65.951 |
| 1996 | 68,933,550,573 | 68.934 |
| 1997 | 72,028,595,646 | 72.029 |
| 1998 | 75,757,535,399 | 75.758 |
| 1999 | 79,295,530,764 | 79.296 |
| 2000 | 83,492,876,906 | 83.493 |
| 2001 | 87,732,050,538 | 87.732 |
| 2002 | 91,094,928,770 | 91.095 |
| 2003 | 95,412,434,317 | 95.412 |
| 2004 | 100,411,600,214 | 100.412 |
| 2005 | 106,974,447,116 | 106.974 |
| 2006 | 114,111,680,586 | 114.112 |
| 2007 | 122,166,366,936 | 122.166 |
| 2008 | 129,513,195,397 | 129.513 |
| 2009 | 136,047,297,736 | 136.047 |
| 2010 | 143,627,564,998 | 143.628 |
| 2011 | 152,912,195,328 | 152.912 |
| 2012 | 162,884,301,114 | 162.884 |
| 2013 | 172,679,520,662 | 172.680 |
| 2014 | 183,145,728,910 | 183.146 |
| 2015 | 195,146,608,978 | 195.147 |
| 2016 | 209,028,320,491 | 209.028 |
| 2017 | 222,803,809,377 | 222.804 |
| 2018 | 239,111,739,541 | 239.112 |
| 2019 | 257,958,323,969 | 257.958 |
| 2020 | 266,852,772,254 | 266.853 |
| 2021 | 285,368,829,855 | 285.369 |
| 2022 | 305,629,528,154 | 305.630 |
| 2023 | 323,279,976,841 | 323.280 |
| 2024 | 336,932,927,922 | 336.933 |
| 2025 | 348,691,572,810 | 348.692 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.685Medium human developmentRank 130 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.397
20000.477
20100.561
20200.663
20230.685
74.7 yearsLife expectancy at birth
6.8 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Parliamentary republic with a president as head of state and a prime minister leading the government. The 13th Parliament was elected in February 2026, following the interim administration established after the 2024 protests.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · February 2026 parliamentary election
Knowledge check
Three questions about Bangladesh.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which manufacturing activity is a leading Bangladeshi export industry?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · IPU · February 2026 parliamentary election
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.